Expansible wrist watch band



July 8, 1958 s, MYERSON Y Re. 24,502

EXPANSIBLE WRIST WATCH BAND Original Filed March 9, 1953 l 35 1*/ltlllmillummumlmmmmlluu` 36 xb/ Fi 8 g' INVENTOR.

SlMON MYERSON 1:.7/ Mdm/m ATTORNEYS United States Patent O '24,502 EXPANSIBLEL WRIST WATCH BAND Simon Myerson, Newton, Mass.

Original `No.'2,751,132, dated June 19,V 1956, Serial No. 340,953, March'9, 1953. Application for reissue `lune 17,'1957, SeiialNm 667,062

v 7'Clairns. (Cl. 224=-"4) Mattei-'enclosed in 4heavybi-ackets I] appears in the original patent but forms no part of this reissue specili-l cahon; matter printed in italics indicates the additions made by reissue'.

Expansible rwrist watchbands ofthe type'that may be slipped on or off without disconnecting the' sections generally falll into one of theV two classes, viz., those embodying foldable links, and'those comprising links and associated'retracting springs. VThe former type is subject to the objection that in time the links become so worn that they are aptto unfoldfwith va result .that the wrist watch and band may accidentally drop oi the Wristgvand the latter type is objectionable in that it is quite difiicult to select the precise '.number of links either to prevent uncomfortable binding ofthe band about the wrist or avoid objectionable looseness whichis apt to vcause the watch and bandito slide off thewrist or shift its position on the wrist ifthel arm is quickly extended. lf the band is under sutlicient tensiontofprevent objectionable looseness, it tends to indent the skin and irritate the wearer.

`The principal objects of the present invention are to overcome thel aforementioned objectionable features and to provide a band forawrist watchor the like article which is of-simpledesign and'ofpleasing appearance, which is ofstrong anddurable"construction, which may be readily slipped on and voff'the wrist, which maybe made secure onthe Wrist without Abinding or otherwise irritating the wearer and which can bemanufactured at a relatively low cost. s

Further objectsy relate to tion and will be apparent following description and wherein:

Fig. `1 is a top plan view of a wrist watch band constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevationshowing the sectionsV in re-' traced position;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the sections expanded;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on the line 4-4 ofFig. 2;

'from a consideration of the the accompanying' drawings,

Fig. 5 is an enlargedsection on the. line S--5 of Figi;

Fig. 6'is an isometric of the end connector for attaching one of thesectons to a `wrist watch or the like;

Fig. 7 is arperspective of a. modiiedfform vention;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, but showing a further embodiment of theY invention; and

Fig. 9 is a view Vshowing a modication of the embodiment shown in Fig.l 8;

ln. accordance with the present invention I provide a band for a wrist watch or the like article, which comprises two relatively non-expandable sections, each having an end attachable t`o the wrist watch,l and the adjacent ends of these sections carry interengaging coupling means such as a buckle, hook, 'snap or the like by which they may be detachably secured together. A retracting member. or band is juxtaposed to the two sections and connected therewith so as to extend across the coupling means normally to lhold the two sections in position to complete the encirclement of the wrist. The sections are preferably so constructed as to provide a sheath or housing 'for the retracting member and the parts are made from material which not only provides an attractive various features of construc-A ICC 2 o but also is acceptable to the skin of diierent people. In any case, the retracting member is sutlicien'tly expandable so that theensemble may be slipped [or] ori or oli the wrist lwhen the coupling members are detached, but it is preferably so constructed and arranged to exert only sufficient force to bring the sections back to normal wrist encircling position without Vbinding the `wrist ofthe wearer.

The accompanying ments of the invention chosen forthe purpose of illustration and referring to Figs. 1 to 6 the numerals 1 and' 2 designate the two detachable, relatively non-expandable sections which may be of leather or the like suitable material. These sections comprise outer and inner elongate straps 4, 5, Y6 and 7, which may be of leather, plastic or other suitable material, stitched together at their elongate edges to provide sheaths 10 and 1:1 (Figsft andS).

The opposite ends of appearance,

the sections 1 and 2 [carry] include attaching hooks V12 (Fig. 6) by means of which fastener having maleand female parts 15 and 16.

A retracting member, here shown in the form of an' elastic webbing 18.',hasits opposite ends'secured to the opposite end portions of sections 4 and 5 and tothis end the inwardly directed flanges 20 and 21 (Fig. 6) of the [coupling] hooksv 12 may be `formed with inwardly struclc detents 22 and"2?`effective to.hold the parts together: The retracting member 18 extends through the sheath 10, acrosstheadjacent ends of the sections 1 and 2 and through the sheath 11, as shown in Figs. 2 to 5, thusbeing entirely concealed when lthe band is worn. The'. length and retractability of the web 18 is such that is preferably exactly effective to'hold the two sections in normal retracted position (Figs. l and 2) so that the couplingmernber is in position to be interlocked, but its elasticity is' such as to permit sufiicient expansionwhen thecoupling member is disengagedto allow'the bandito be slipped wrist of the wearer two sections necessary'to secure a snug comfortable tit, after which the detents. 22, as permanently to: hold the Vparts invention is not limited to this feature since very desirable results may be achieved by the 'manufacture of a sucient range of sizes. f

With this construction and 'arrangement of parts the' to provide the encircling incplace and preventsex sections 1 and 2 are effective band which holds the ensembley pansion; and the retracting member 18 not only,l provides a second band preventingthe ensemble-from slipping off the wrist in Vevent the .coupling member [18] acci-` dentally becomes disengaged but also allows suicient expansion to permit the ensemble to be .quickly slipped ,onV

or oil the Wrist.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 7 is, in principle, the

same asthat of thehpreviously described embodiment, but provides aless expensive construction designed to be made vin a range .of sizes. In this embodimentthe sections 1a and 2a each consistsof aleatherst-rap or the,

drawings show different embodi-y l wrist of the wearer); it 1s' the sections are then slipped beneath the flanges 20 and 21 of they hooks 12 and while yholding the parts together the ensemble may be fitted about the:

to determine the precise length of the.-y

23 are pressed inwardly sol together'. However, the

like, the opposite end portions of whichy are folded inwardly to form small loops 12a for receiving coupling pintles 14 of a wrist watch-` and inwardly directed flaps 25 towhich the ends of a retracting member 18a are stitched or otherwise secured, -the retracting member preferably being slightly narrower than the sections 1a and lb'so as to be substantially concealed thereby, when the band is worn. The adjacent ends of the sections carry suitably interlocking fastening elements 26 and 27 by means of which they may be detachably secured together, the construction and arrangement of parts being such that the retracting member-18a normally holds Vthe sections together so that the elements 26 and 27 may be coupled, but preferably without exerting a retracting force on the sections when coupled together. In all material particulars the band of this embodiment isl the same as that above described.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 8 is also the same, in principle, as those previously described and each of the sections 1b and 2b consists of a plurality of pivotally interconnected tubular links 30. The outer link of each section is formed with an integral hooked extension 12b by which the section may be securedto the pintle 14 of a Wrist watch. The inner link of section 1b is formed with an integral hook 32 and the inner link of section 2b is formed with a slot 33 which receives the hook 32 so as to couple the sections in normal retracted position. The retracting member may consist of one or more tension springs 35 extending through the links 30 of the two sections with their opposite ends secured to the outer links by pins 36. Here again the springs 35 are effective to retract the sections to permit the inner links to be interlocked, and thus the sections are held in normal position as in the previously described embodiment. i

The modification shown in Fig. 9 embodies the same basicconstruction as shown in Fig. 8, but is provided with a single retracting spring or band 35a, one end of which is coupled to one of the pintles 40 of the wrist watch W and the opposite end is coupled to the other pintle 40, it being understood that the coupling members otl the Watch W are shown separated merely for the purpose'of illustration. One or both terminal links 30a of the non-expandable section is formed with a locking tongue 42 by means ofl which the terminal link may be detachably secured to the adjacent pintle 40. It will be noted that the links 30, 30a provide -a non-expandable, detachable band and the spring 35a provides a non-detachable, expandable band which holds the ensemble about the wrist of the wearer, even if the non-expandable band 30, 30a should be accidentally disconnected.

While reference has been made herein to a watch, as a component of the band, the watch may be omitted and the ends so joined as toV-make a continuous band or bracelet. In such cases, the bracelet will comprise a nonexpandable element completely encircling the wrist and an expandable element also completely encircling the wrist. The said element may have a segment of the band in common, as in the case of the wrist watch.

While I have shown and described different desirable embodiments of the invention it is to be understood that this disclosure is for the purpose of illustration and that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A Wrist watch band comprising two sections, corresponding ends of which may be attached to a wrist watch, the other ends of said sections having interengage able coupling means by which such ends are detachably connected when the band is worn about the Wrist, each of said sections having an elongate sheath, and an elongate retracting member having a portion within one sheath and another portion within the other sheath, said retracting member extending across said coupling means and its opposite ends being anchored to the respective sheaths, [the normal length of said retracting member being less than that of the two section so as to exert a retracting force which normally holds the two sections snugly about the wrist,] the expanded length of said retracting member being suticient to permit removal of the band from the wrist when said coupling means are detached. l

2. A wrist watch band comprising ltwo sections, corresponding ends of which may be attached to a Wrist watc the other ends of said sections having interengageable coupling means by which such-ends are detachably connected when the band is worn about the wrist, each of said sections having an elongate flexible member, and 's other liexible member, said retracting means extending across said coupling means and its opposite ends being anchored relative to the watch when the band is attached thereto, [the normal length of said retracting means being less than that of the two sections so as to exert a retracting force which normally holds the two sections snugly about the wrist,] the expanded length of said retracting means being sutiicient to permit removal of the band from the wrist when said coupling means are detached.

3. A wrist watch band as set forth in claim 2, wherein said retracting means comprises a tension spring.

4. AA wrist watch band as set forth vin claim y2 wherein the opposite ends of said retracting means are anchored adjacent to the outer ends of said sections. A

5. A wrist watch band as set forth in claim 2 wherein each of said sections comprises a plurality of pivotally interconnected links. v

6. A wrist watch band as set forthin claim 5 wherein said links are hollow and wherein said retracting means extends through said hollowlinks.

7. A wrist band comprising an elongate flexible member, securing means for connecting opposite ends of said member to form therewith a first closed circle about the wrist of the wearer including coupling means detachable to permit opening said circle, elongate retracting means associated with said member and securing means to form therewith a second closed circle about the wrist of the wearer independent of said coupling means, said retracting means being longitudinallyyieldable from a maintain a maximum length less than said required length to prevent said retracting means from yieldingto said expanded length and to inhibit such removal of the band from the wrist, the said coupling meansvbeng manually detachable to free said retracting means of the restraint of said member so that said retracting means may be expanded to permit such removal of the band from the wrist.

References Cited in the tile of this patent or the original patent UNITED STATES PATENTS y 1,315,729 Jolly Sept. 9, ,1919. 1,616,215 Chilson Feb. 1, 1927 2,517,011 Meyers Aug. 1, 1950 2,558,007 Smith June 26, 1951 2,600,232 Feid June 10, 1952 2,639,067 Hirsch May 19, 1953 2,686,622 Augenstein Aug. 17 1954 2,695,740 Kolbe Nov. 30,` 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 280,923 Switzerland May 16, 1952 729,182 France Apr. 25, 1932 Germay Sept. 24, 1951 

